Dippy Canoes

Politically correct they were not, but in terms of practicality and flavor, these corn chip snacks of the 60s couldn’t be beat. Quaker Oats drew upon the ingenuity of Native Americans to create Dippy Canoes, and they were so good that they are still being talked about today.

Shaped exactly as their name suggests, Dippy Canoes were perfect for scooping up a good dollop of dip. Their flavor was similar to Fritos, although not quite as dense. To differentiate their product from others on store shelves, Quaker utilized the same packaging as another of their popular products, oatmeal. These resealable cardboard canisters were orange-colored and adorned with a caricature of a Native American, wearing a colorful feathered headdress. Native Americans were also heavily used in the marketing of these chips.

Quaker Oats released Dippy Canoes in 1967, along with two similar products that were also sold in the same cardboard canisters. Corn Skis were shaped little snowshoes and carried the tagline, “the snack that escaped Siberia.” The other product, Salty Surfers was, you guessed it, shaped like little surfboards and “taste like the sea.” – or in other words, like sodium.

Dippy Canoes remained in supermarkets at least until the 70s arrived, but there is little evidence of them having survived much longer than that. In the years that followed, other chips have adopted the scoop design, but fans of Dippy Canoes will attest, they pale in comparison in terms of flavor and texture. The other thing that fans of these roasted corn snacks can agree on is that they would really, really like to see them make a comeback.

Do you remember these extinct snacks from yesteryear? We would love to hear all of your thoughts and recollections of Dippy Canoes in our comments section below.